Wingman Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior VP at King Koil, a mattress manufacturer. We’ve been making mattresses in the US since 1898.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wingman Media?

We partnered with them for a digital marketing and advertising campaign with our retail partner in Southern California.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wingman Media helps us with digital marketing and advertising in an ongoing yearly program. For two years, we’ve made a monthly investment to drive traffic to our retail partner’s website and their stores to sell a smart light technology mattress. The campaign includes PPC, Google Ads, YouTube preroll ads, social media ads on Facebook, and programmatic advertising, and Wingman Media handles all that. 

When we introduced this product collection, we gave Wingman Media a brief with our goals, what the mattress does and its benefits, and our target audience. We reviewed and approved their campaign. We ensure our content is SEO-optimized, and Wingman Media implements the campaign in the digital marketing world and generates new creative assets each month.

Each year, we’ve developed what we wanted to do each month and determined our monthly budget allotment. We’ve had key promotions wrapped around certain holidays, such as President’s Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. Wingman Media has made creative assets for the promotions we ran during that time. For the remaining months, they’ve run brand awareness campaigns. 

What is the team composition?

We work with around four people from Wingman Media, and our main point of contact is Monique (Account Supervisor). In addition, we work with Scott (Managing Director) and a paid media manager. 

How did you come to work with Wingman Media?

We found them through a referral. Wingman Media was a long-time provider for our retail partner, handling their everyday traditional digital marketing campaigns and advertising. Since they had a close relationship with our partner, and so did we, we decided to work directly with Wingman Media. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Wingman Media’s work has been positive and helpful for brand awareness. Our ROI is high based on our spending versus returns and our impressions. Our retail partner has about 12–13 mattress brands on their website, and ours has been in the top three most viewed for the past two years, showing that people are clicking on our ads.

Overall, the campaigns have positively driven our brand and increased traffic to our retail partner’s website and stores. Therefore, we plan on running another campaign with Wingman Media in 2023.

How did Wingman Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been excellent. They also have great communication, and their deliverables are always on point. We have monthly phone calls to review the results, and they report how each digital marketing channel is effective or not to see how to improve things for the next month.

The team’s monthly reports are in-depth and detailed. Wingman Media is also cooperative in making changes and improvements to the campaigns. As for tools, we use Microsoft Teams and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Wingman Media is detail-oriented and knowledgeable of all media channels. They have an in-depth approach to ensuring we’re getting the most bang for our buck. Since we work on multiple channels, they advise us where to put the most money; they’re very strategic with their planning. Overall, we have a great partnership with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don’t need to improve; we’re completely satisfied with their services. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend Wingman Media. Go in with a plan of what your goals are so that they can build a strategy around them. The team will help you strategize and suggest how to achieve your goals and even additional goals you may have yet to think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Brand Manager at Dental Implants GPS. We specialize in full mouth dental implants that replace people's teeth and restore their self-confidence in one day.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Wingman Media?

We hired Wingman Media to help us with our media buying strategy and management. They have been helping us with paid advertising on TV and Radio.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking on Clutch for a media company to help us, and after vetting 3-4 different places, we decided to go with Wingman Media.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After meeting with us to understand our needs, they developed a broadcast media buying strategy they felt fit out goals, demographic, and budget. Since implementing their services, Wingman has managed our ad purchases, scheduling, various landing pages, CallRail, and also has helped with creative for ads.

What was the team composition?

For our team we have a project manager, data analyst, media buying & scheduling specialist, and multiple other team members who help in all aspects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Working with Wingman has had a great positive impact on our growth. We have had a surge of leads come in through our call center and are even needing to hire more staff to accommodate the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Wingman's workflow and communication is very detailed. They are also very quick to respond to any questions, or any strategy pivots we ask of them.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What really impressed us about Wingman Media was the all-hands-on-deck approach to working with a client. Their team is large and capable, with specialists and every area that can help fulfill your media and marketing goals.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No specific area comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We run traditional television campaigns for large-scale events 4–6 times each year. Each is a pretty hefty campaign. I personally oversee OTT global service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wingman Media?

We’ve done work together on the PPC and OTT fronts to attract new subscribers and consumers to events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I oversee the OTT services work, but they’ve also put together campaigns on a much broader scale. For example, they’ve helped with awareness, fan creation, and pay-per-view event campaigns. 

We work closely with them to put together a list of audience targets that are valuable to furthering our business. They examine networks that would best suit a television campaign. We typically provide them with the creative that we’re going to use, and they inform the strategy on how the creative will be best used in a campaign thereafter. They’ve helped us in both national and international capacity, helping us reach broader entertainment audiences within the sports realm for large events. They’re also responsible for the execution after very thorough planning.

What is the team composition?

We collaborate with about five people, each with a specific and helpful role on the team. Our main point of contact is Brett (Account Executive). 

How did you come to work with Wingman Media?

They showed a knowledge of the linear and connected TV landscape as well as the ability to be nimble. We’re also located relatively close to each other, which helped with planning. Our business relationship came pretty naturally as well, which was a good sign. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $2 million on their services in total.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them on campaigns since July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’re helping in making sure that any campaign is attributable to our end goals, tracking traffic influxes and engagement. They improve with each campaign in an effort to ensure the client gets what they need. We’ve been able to dig much deeper with them as we look to connect campaigns with our bottom-line.  

How did Wingman Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They check in regularly to make sure timelines are being met. We’ve found them punctual and efficient. Before a campaign is launched, we have about four meetings with them to pin down specific details and requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great at reporting and an overall pleasure to work with. We’ve had to pivot strategy, and they’re always accommodating of that, willing to think outside of the box to make sure a campaign is successful. Our executive team also really likes their logo— their own branding elements make them stand out from other.s  

Are there any areas they could improve?

Every organization has room for improvement, but they set and continue to exceed the bar they set for themselves. They’re driven no matter the size of the campaign. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Manage efficiency with your needs as a client. They get very deep into the strategy, so make sure you’re communicating about requirements and progress to ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the campaign.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and president of a mortgage banking company. We lend to 37 states across the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Wingman Media?

We were trying to expand our reach to consumers. We’d primarily relied on direct mail in the past, but we were finding that it wasn’t getting us the leads and conversions that we were hoping for.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Wingman Media helped us expand into TV, radio, and digital marketing. While we already had a strong handle on our target demographics, they helped us conduct some market research. We then turned all creative control over to them, and they created a multi-channel campaign for us.

What is the team composition?

While we worked primarily with the team lead, we worked with around 6 people.

How did you come to work with Wingman Media?

They were a referral by another advertising agency in the LA area. I called the owner of that company to ask for advice. I consulted with him on how to grow my business in a non-competitive industry, and he recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

Our initial spend entailed a $5,000,000 run rate. Now, we’re closer to a $10,000,000 run rate, on an annual basis. I’d suspect that we’ve spent somewhere around $25,000,000 over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July of 2010, and our engagement lasted for three years. We decided to pause the partnership since the market had shifted. Then, I re-engaged them this year, in 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We accomplished what we were aiming for. All my advertising is direct-response advertising, insofar that I’m not targeting brand-building. Our cost per lead (CPL) and cost per conversion (CPC) rates indicate high returns. They’ve been one of the least expensive methods for acquiring new customers.

How did Wingman Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide me with some reporting tools which have been very helpful. Otherwise, 80% of our communication is via email or project meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re genuinely concerned about your success. They measure their own success by way of their client’s success, and they’re always available.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, so no. They’ve always met my expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly communicate your market and the audience that you’re trying to attract. That will aid them in driving the creative and the necessary media buys.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

California Deluxe Windows manufactures, markets, and sells high-end custom windows and doors and a variety of related products. We started in 1999 and are based in Southern California.

What is your position?

I am the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Wingman Advertising?

I have some experience in the marketing industry, so before we began working with Wingman, I handled all the advertising personally, meaning I had to write and edit the copy and negotiate all our media buys. As we grew larger, it obviously was difficult to pursue all the necessary tasks I felt like we needed to be doing to build our brand while still managing the day-to-day operations of the company. I finally decided to turn the work to an outside agency.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They came in and, during the course of several meetings, analyzed our past campaigns and our future goals to get a better sense of where we were. After that initial planning phase, they began implementing the work, which includes everything from radio to print to digital advertising.

How did you come to work with Wingman Advertising?

They were referred to me youngest son, who is the president of the company. He had a preliminary discussion over the phone with them; then they came in, and I met all the principals of the agency. I had encouraged him to search for an agency based on the needs that I mentioned earlier. He did the search, and he brought Wingman to my attention, and then we took it from there. I especially liked that they had a lot of experience in radio, which is an important medium for us.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our entire marketing budget is a little bit under a million dollars per year. Wingman is essentially in charge of that budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began about a year and a half ago. After the first year expired, we went ahead and re-signed with Wingman for the next year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What have been the results of their work? Are there any stats or metrics you could share?

The results have been positive or else we wouldn't continue to work with them. They've created a unique campaign for us that does a good job setting us apart from our competitors. Overall, Wingman Advertising was able to decrease our lead cost by 52 percent and increase conversion from a call to an appointment by 24 percent.

What distinguishes Wingman Advertising from other providers?

I liked that they have a team of people involved. Most other agencies have just a couple people working on your account, and it seems like Wingman has much more than that. I always feel like I'm getting new and creative work from them.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

No. I cannot say that I need more attention from them. I always feel that they're delivering when they promise, and they are staying in touch enough not to let us fall off the page. My experience has been very positive.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Sit'n Sleep has been around for more than 36 years. We have 33 stores, and we're the sixth largest mattress retailer in the country.

What is your position?

I am the CEO and co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Wingman Advertising?

We've had a relationship with Wingman for more than 12 years. Throughout that time, they've had great, fresh ideas at first primarily around TV and radio, but now they're also on the cutting edge of search and Internet-related marketing, which is crucial for us.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They're responsible for the strategy and implementation of our marketing plan, along with me and a creative partner. Two areas of particular importance for us are our media buys and analytics reports. They stand out in both of these areas. They track metrics in everything we do, so we know our money is spent properly, and what the most efficient parts of our buys are.

How did you come to work with Wingman Advertising?

I knew both founders of the company because they worked at KLSX, a radio station that we advertised on a lot. I had been with another agency for a number of years, but felt that I wasn't getting great value for my money. When Steve Dubane and Rich Kagan left the radio business to start this agency, I decided to go with them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our total budget is around $16 million. That's radio, TV, Internet, print, everything that we do, creative consultation, production – everything.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since they opened up shop. We were their first major client. I see no end in sight.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What have been the results of the engagement, are there any metrics you can share?

When we started with Wingman, we were a small mattress store with just a handful of stores. During the course of our engagement we've grown to 33 stores doing $122 million in revenue.

What distinguishes Wingman Advertising from other providers?

In my mind, the biggest benefits have been from the deep-dive analytics that they've created. These programs are helping us marshal our dollars to maximize good results and increase the effectiveness of our budget. I really haven't seen that from anybody else. I've been with them for a long time, and they keep on pushing the peg, to bring us more and more efficiency, and that's so valuable.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve, or things you might do differently?

I can't see too much. They're highly responsive. If there's a problem, I don't believe in letting problems fester. If there's ever been an issue with something, maybe billing delays or something like that, that's so minor in the scope. As far as the creative process, there's been no deficiency. I couldn't afford to stay with them if there had been. Our business is highly promotional, highly results driven, and I can't afford downtime.